Slough gets a taste for nature on the Salt Hill Stream

14 September 2016

The people of Slough got a taste for nature today when TV naturalist David Lindo aka The Urban Birder helped the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) launched an initiative to restore the Salt Hill Stream.

Pupils from St Mary’s Primary School exhibited their paintings and drawings of how imagine the stream will look. Together with business leaders, they helped the Environment Agency release fish into the stream.

WWT and Environment Agency staff help pupils release fish into the stream

The project partners – WWT, Slough Borough Council, Thames Water and the Environment Agency – presented their plans to involve people from the community in designing and creating new areas of wild habitat along the banks of the stream. These wild areas will become homes for wildlife and make the Salt Hill Stream a more pleasant and attractive place for people. The wetlands will also use natural processes to improve water quality, reduce pollution in the local river and reduce flood risk.

The Salt Hill Stream is currently blighted by litter and suffers from erratic water levels. During hot weather this summer, parts of the stream dried up, killing fish, while at other times it is liable to flood. WWT experts will work with local people to design the new wildlife areas over the coming months, so that they help address these environmental problems. They will start creating the wetlands this winter.

TV naturalist David Lindo grew up in West London and is an advocate for the wildlife of towns and cities. He said:

“Lots of people don’t realise that it’s actually incredibly easy to find wildlife in urban areas once you know how and where to look. WWT‘s ethos is to get people to care for their environment by showing them the amazing wildlife around them, and I’m really excited to help them do that with the people of Slough. There’s a lot out there already, and there’s great potential to make the Salt Hill Stream a really beautiful place that teems with birds and wildlife.”

David Lindo "The Urban Birder" with children from St Mary's Primary, Slough

The project is being led by Andy Graham from WWT. He said:

“We’ve had a brilliant response from local people already. We’ve got businesses and schools on board and we’re working with community centres to create beautiful gardens that catch all the rain that falls on the roof.

“Each little spot of wildness we create together will look beautiful when it’s in full bloom. Combined, they act to percolate the rain that falls on the town and steady the flow of the stream, which will really help the people and wildlife that live around it by reducing pollution, flooding and drought.”

Slough Borough Council is responsible for maintaining extensive stretches of the Salt Hill Stream and many other small waterways that flow through the borough.

Councillor Joginder Bal, commissioner for environment and leisure for Slough Borough Council, said:

“We’re pleased to be partnering with the WWT on this exciting project, along with our local communities and businesses.

“The legacy for Slough is going to be enormous – not only will the wetland areas look great, but they will bring the community together, improve the environment and help reduce the risk of flooding.

“The project will also create real opportunities for people to be active and get involved in environmental projects – something we are encouraging as a council. It also fits well with our ongoing commitment to improving our public spaces for everyone.

“We look forward to helping deliver the benefits in the coming months and years.”

Thames Water is providing £150,000 of funding for the project. The company’s head of environmental regulation, Yvette De Garis said:

“Protecting people from flooding and looking after the environment are things we’re passionate about so we’re delighted to be supporting this excellent scheme through our community investment fund. We hope local people will make the most of the opportunity to get involved.”

The Environment Agency has contributed funding and is providing ongoing expert advice about reducing flood risk, preventing pollution and improving biodiversity. Environment Agency chief executive Sir James Bevan said:

“This is a great project that will not only look attractive, but also achieve real results for the environment – improving water quality as well as reducing flood risk. By working together with partners we are able to achieve far more for this community than by working alone.”

People gathered in the garden of the Kashmiri Karahi restaurant to listen to the speeches and view the artwork by the pupils of St Mary’s Primary School, before walking down to the stream where it runs through Salt Hill Park.

There they helped the Environment Agency release native fish into the stream and learned about the bugs and small creatures that indicate the health of a stream.

Anyone from the area who’d like to be involved with the project should contact andy.graham@wwt.org.uk.